Women defy stereotypes on construction sites

Joycenne Vanderbyl is on a mission. She wants young women to know that working in the skilled trades in construction is “a great job, with potential for travel and you can make a very good living.”

Vanderbyl is a Red Seal millwright, and everywhere she works in Canada — large urban centre or small community — she approaches the Chamber of Commerce or seeks out schools. Her goal: to ask if she can volunteer to speak with students about a career in construction.

“I speak to all the students, but what I often find is that girls really have very little knowledge about the skilled trades,” says Vanderbyl, a rock collector who credits the portability of her work for allowing her to explore Canada. She now works for Kellogg Brown & Root (Canada) Company at the Syncrude Canada project in Fort McMurray, Alta.

She notes that “there is a perception, based on old stereotypes, that men on the site will be less than welcoming.” But this is not the reality, says Vanderbyl, who started in construction 38 years ago. In those days, women were such a rarity on the job site that there were not even washrooms designated for their use. “Today women are welcome on the site and our contributions are valued,” she says.

Despite the combined efforts of governments, unions and employers, women are still woefully under-represented in construction skilled trades, says Dave Coles, president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP).

CEP represents more than 5,000 construction workers in Canada; only four per cent are women. This percentage has stayed static for years, he says, although the number of skilled workers in the sector has grown.

A significant number of women could have the skills, ability and desire to work in construction, says Coles. He scoffs at the old stereotype that women don’t have the mechanical skills to succeed. “Come on, if a woman can read a pattern to sew a dress,” he says, “she can read a blueprint.”

Women who want to consider a career in construction should see the sky as the limit, suggests Coles. With the pending retirement of the baby boom generation, employers are actively recruiting construction workers.

The number of skilled workers needed in the years ahead are staggering, says Rosemary Sparks, senior director, planning and development, Construction Sector Council (CSC).

According to the CSC 2010 forecast, over 200,000 skilled workers will leave the industry between 2010 and 2018 due to retirement. (It’s estimated that one out of 16 workers employed in Canada earns a living in the construction industry). This creates both a challenge for the industry and an opportunity for women, says Sparks.

“The construction industry is working to create a welcoming environment for all young people interested in a rewarding career as a highly skilled tradesperson. Or you can move from tradesperson to supervisor to management and to company owner, if that is your interest,” she says.

One of the attractions that Vanderbyl highlights in her talks is the many types of work in the skilled trades in construction.

“There is a role for everyone,” she says. “One of the myths I like to dispel is the one about having to be big and strong to work in construction. I know women who are 90 pounds soaking wet who work in the trades. Women can drive machinery or do electrical or pipefitting work. There are so many choices to suit every interest and capability.”

Detail about these choices can be found at the CSC’s website, www.careersinconstruction.ca. It provides information about the work duties, work conditions, essential skills, background requirements, training and certification, and salary ranges for more than 55 different career options in construction.